Mick Wallace (Wexford, Independent) | Oireachtas source

We are all familiar with the fact that John Lonergan and Peter McVerry have been consistent in letting us know that the majority of people in prisons come from a small number of disadvantaged communities. Most of those who experience poverty and deprivation do not turn to crime, but I suggest that if we are serious about reducing crime then the social deprivation and addiction problems that underlie much criminal behaviour is a good place to start. Likewise to reduce crime, the focus of imprisonment should be on rehabilitation given that the statistics indicate that one in two leaving prison will be back within four years.

There is not doubt that the conditions will be far better than they were, as the Minister has stated. Nevertheless, it is concerning that people such as those in the Jesuit Centre for Faith and Justice have challenged the Minister's claim that the prison would provide adequate and suitable accommodation for all prisoners. They have pointed out that a failure to provide single-cell accommodation in the new prison will be in direct breach of article 18.5 of the European prison rules drawn up by the Council of Europe, of which Ireland is a founding member state. This cannot be considered to be in accordance with international best practice. Fr. McVerry has said that cell sharing should not be the norm in prison and that in many cases it results in increased intimidation and violence and leads to non-drug users being introduced to drug use. He has further noted that even without such extreme consequences enforced sharing can represent a cramped and oppressive living environment, especially in light of the fact that in Ireland out-of-cell time is at best between six or seven hours per day. Fr. McVerry has pointed out that things have improved. For example, the atmosphere in Mountjoy Prison has improved dramatically since it has moved to single occupancy and that has made a significant difference.

Mr. Liam Herrick of the Irish Penal Reform Trust hit the nail on head when he said that instead of increasing capacity at Cork Prison we need what he has described as an "increased use of rigorous community-based alternatives, investment in probation and community services, an overall reduction of the use of imprisonment for less serious offences, and better reintegration supports before and after release to support a reduction in re-offending". For those interested in how prisons work I recommend a documentary just launched by Eugene Jarecki called "The House I Live In". It is described as a deep look inside America's criminal justice system and it is fascinating and educational.

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